Generally speaking, the present invention pertains to a combination of a timing mechanism carried in a first housing constructed of an electrically insulative material, a motor and gear train assembly carried in a second housing constructed of an electrically insulative material and holding means maintaining the first and second housings together in a working relationship.
Defrost timing mechanisms or limers have long been used in appliances such as refrigerators to defrost them in accordance with a predetermined program cycle. In the manufacture of these timers, industry is constantly striving to make the timers as small and compact as possible with a minimum number of parts. Also, the industry is highly competitive and, therefore, the most economical fabrication methods are constantly being sought.
Timers which, for the most part, admirably meet these requirements are those discussed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,727,015, 3,805,005 and 4,406,932. As described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,727,015 and 3,805,005, there are combination electrical blades and electrical terminals which are held in a housing for the timer through the use of projections lanced from the combination and received in notches provided in the housing wall. And in U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,932 there is presented an improved means to hold the electrical terminals, and blades, as well as the wiring to the terminals. The present invention represents an improvement over these types of structures.